Breaking Gender Barriers in Workplaces - Zainabu's story

Zainabu Senkondo is a project participant in the "Her Money, Her Life" project in Tanzania supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. She shares her transformative journey from dependency to empowerment, challenging traditional views on gender roles in workplaces.

Initially hesitant to work in what she thought were male dominated, strenuous factory jobs, Zainabu was encouraged by her husband to try. Once she started, she found pride and fulfillment in her role as a processor, realizing that factory work is just as much for women as it is for men.

Her story is one of resilience and growth, as she now supports her family’s needs alongside her husband, gaining financial independence and inspiring other women to break barriers and pursue opportunities in fields traditionally reserved for men.

Breaking Gender Barriers in Workplaces

Zainabu inside the Sakare Specialty Tea Factory in Tanga. Photo: Edward Charles | CARE Tanzania